The

Cathedral
Connection
Seventeenth Sunday of the Year Vol. 9 Issue 25 26 July 2020

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose

Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr was a French journalist, novelist and

satirist. Perhaps his most famous epigram is that the more things
change, the more they stay the same. We will, no doubt, all be able
to think of examples. Even though technology advances at
sometimes frightening speed, none of life’s real problems seem to be
resolved. Whether it be poverty, heartache, loneliness, grief,
exclusion or hunger, our ever-changing world is found cyclic and
seriously wanting.

In today’s Old Testament reading, however, King Solomon

appreciates that God does not change and had been consistently
faithful. Consequently, Solomon rejects worldly rewards and asks for
a discerning heart rather than temporary riches.

In today’s gospel, we read about the great eternal value of the

kingdom of heaven. Elsewhere in the gospel, Jesus gives us a clue
where that value lies. When we see the hungry and feed them or
offer them something to drink, when we see a stranger and invite
them in, or clothe them; when we visit the sick or those in prison, we
touch the transcendent values of God.

Those values produce change and are unique. We were not

predestined to go around in circles.

Nicholas Burley

Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish is a partner in the Wellington Central Pastoral Area
with St Mary of the Angels (CBD), and the Catholic Parish of Otari (Wilton and Karori).
Parish office closure – The parish
office will be closed from 20-31 July
inclusive while Frank takes a well
deserved break. Debbie and Fr
David are available via the
office phone number. The
answerphone, along with the parish Rosary - Mondays from 11.30am in the
email will be cleared once per day. Cathedral Chapel (Not on Public
Holidays)
Children’s Sacramental
Divine Mercy Devotions Sunday
Programme 2020/21 - Registration is
6.00pm to 6.30pm in the Cathedral
now open for the 2020/21 programme
Chapel
which begins with Confirmation this
coming Term 4 followed by First
Scripture Meditation Tuesdays 5.00-
Reconciliation in Term 1 and Holy
5.30pm by Zoom
Communion in Term 2 of 2021. For
https://zoom.us/j/94186740914?
your child to be eligible, he/she must
pwd=WlgwbkYyT2pvbGhKdHBLZDFY
already be baptised and be at least 8
SlRBZz09
years old. The first parent’s session is
Meeting ID: 941 8674 0914
at 7.00pm on 18 October 2020 at St
Thomas More Church in Wilton. For
First Holy Communion sacramental
registration and/or further enquiries,
programme parents sessions –
please contact Angela at
Thursday 6 August and Tuesday 18
angela.nzet@outlook.com or the
August 7.00-8.00pm at St. Thomas
parish office at
More Church. Children’s sessions
cathedral.parish@wn.catholic.org.nz
begin 23rd August.

Sacred Heart Cathedral School Enrolments for 2021 close on 31 July

2020. Please see https://www.sacred-heart.school.nz/enrolment/

Our Archdiocese and Covid-19 Alert Level 1 Restrictions — Cardinal

John has advised that the restrictions on holy water in fonts, receiving holy
communion from the chalice and not shaking hands at the sign of peace
are to continue until further notice. Please be conscious of hygiene
measures such as hand washing and using hand sanitizer when
distributing holy communion. If you feel unwell please stay at home.

Please continue to support the food bank, with donations of non

perishable foods or toiletries and sanitary or laundry items.
Collection boxes are beside the doors in the foyer of St Thomas
More and the Cathedral Chapel. Thank you
 Great News — On Friday the Government announced that the
Cathedral strengthening and restoration fund has been boosted by an $8.5M
grant from the Shovel Ready Infrastructure Fund. Our application for funding
outlined a project scope that included the current works and base
isolation. This funding now allows us to begin the design work for base
isolation. The leadership team is delighted with this unexpected
announcement and we are now gathering the necessary team to progress this
project. More details will follow as work gets underway.

Chrism Mass— normally held in Cathedral Strengthening Events:

Holy Week, will be celebrated at Our
Lady of Kapiti at 10.30am on
Saturday 1st August. All
welcome.The Holy oils that will be
blessed at that Mass will be
received and presented to the parish
at the 10.30am Mass on Sunday 2nd
August.
On Friday 7 August Cardinal John
will lead a Blessing of the Site and
Workers at 10.00am outside the
Sacred Heart Cathedral Chapel, or if
wet inside the Cathedral
foyer. Morning tea will be served in the
foyer after the blessing.

Please keep in your

prayers:
All those affected by the
CoVID-19 virus.
All those working in healthcare and
other essential services.
The children in our Pastoral Area
Sacramental Programme.
On Sunday 16 August Cardinal John
will preside at a joint parish Mass
praying for the successful completion
of work on Sacred Heart Cathedral.
This Mass will be celebrated at St.
Teresa’s Pro-Cathedral in Karori at
10.00am. Please note: there will be no
10.30am Mass on this day at St
Thomas More Church.

Hear the Cry of the Earth — Whakarongo ki te tangi a Papatūānuku

Back in March we joined with Otari parish for some Lenten reflections on
care for the environment in light of Pope Francis’s Laudato Si'. The final
session had to be postponed, and it will take place on Tuesday 28 July 7.30 -
9.00pm at St Thomas More Church. All welcome; the theme is local
initiatives, and there will be short talks and discussion on each of the
following:
 Karori Kaitiaki
 Wellington City Council – Waste Management (Reduce, Reuse and
Recycle, Repurpose)
 Electric and Hybrid Cars
 Predator Control
 What are Catholic Students doing?
 Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish
PO Box 1937, Wellington 6140, MASS TIMES
Ph: (04) 496 1700
cathedral.parish@wn.catholic.org.nz Weekdays (Except Public Holidays)
www.mcshwellington.org 8:00am Monday to Friday
https://www.facebook.com/
12:10pm Tuesday to Friday
MCSHWellington/
All in the Cathedral Blessed
Parish Priest: Sacrament Chapel
Fr David Dowling 12:10pm Monday Liturgy of the Word
Lay Pastoral Leader: with Holy Communion
Debbie Matheson Saturday
Director of Music: 8:30am - Cathedral Chapel
Michael Fletcher
Office Administrator: 5:30pm (Vigil for Sunday) -
Frank Doherty St. Thomas More, Wilton
Office Hours:
10:00am-3:00pm SUNDAY
Parish Council Chair: 10:30am - St. Thomas More, Wilton
Jim McAloon
7:00pm - Cathedral Chapel
Sacred Heart Cathedral School Reconciliation: Tuesday to Friday
Guildford Tce, Thorndon 11:50am-12:05pm; Saturday after
Ph: 472 4047 8:30am Mass, or by appointment.
Principal: Bernadette Murfitt
DRS: Jane Regan Baptism by appointment.

Readings Sunday 26th – Seventeenth Sunday of the Year

for the 1 Kg 3:5, 7-12; Rom 8:28-30; Mt 13:44-52
Week
Monday 27th – Jer 13:1-11; Mt 13:31-35
Tuesday 28th – Jer 14:17-22; Mt 13:36-43
Wednesday 29th – 1 Jn 4:7-16; Jn 11:19-27
Thursday 30th – Jer 18:1-6; Mt 13:47-53
Friday 31st – Jer 26:1-9; Mt 13:54-58
Saturday 1st August – Jer 26:11-16, 24; Mt 14:1-12

Sunday 2nd – Eighteenth Sunday of the Year

Is 55:1-3; Rom 8:35, 37-39; Mt 14:13-21

‘The kingdom is here, it returns, it struggles to flourish anew. Christ’s

resurrection everywhere calls forth seeds of that new world; even if they are
cut back, they grow again, for the resurrection is already secretly woven into
the fabric of this history’.— Pope Francis: Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the
Gospel) paragraph 278.